Moving a Golf Ball from the Cart Path

A recent graduate of University of Missouri-Columbia, Kevin Waida is now matriculating in the Colorado State University master of business administration program. Professionally, Kevin Waida has served as a staff member at golf courses and as an intern with the Columbia Golf Foundation.

Many public and private golf courses make golf carts available to players and staff, allowing individuals to move more effectively throughout the course. However, the paths on which the carts travel present golfers with an unusual obstacle. While many rules dictate that golfers must play a ball where it lies or suffer a one stroke penalty, the game prioritizes player safety and permits individuals to move their balls from cart paths without penalty.

In the event that a ball lands on a cart, golfers have a few options. To begin, players should search for the nearest point of relief, or the closest area that provides enough distance from the path so that golfers can assume their stance and swing unhindered. Players can further adjust the ball’s positioning to within one club’s length of the point of relief. Finally, when players drop their ball, it may roll up to two club’s lengths but should not move any closer to the hole.